Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 269: To ask the Minister for Finance the amount his Department has spent to date in 2005 on the implementation of the provisions of the Official Languages Act 2003; his estimate of the amount which his Department will spend on the implementation of the Official Languages Act 2003 for the full year in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24008/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has not allocated a specific overall provision in its 2005 Estimates towards the cost of implementing the provisions of the Official Languages Act 2003.

The main area of expenditure on the Irish language in my Department is through Gaeleagras na Seirbhíse Poiblí. Gaeleagras was established in the Department in 1971 with the general aim of promoting the Irish language throughout the Civil Service. Gaeleagras continues to make a significant contribution to the promotion and development of the use of Irish in the Civil Service including supporting the implementation of the Official Languages Act 2003. In anticipation of an increased level of activity in 2005, the allocation for Gaeleagras this year is €369,000, an increase of €131,000 over the 2004 outturn. Up to June, 2005, Gaeleagras have spent €74,000 ofthis allocation. It is anticipated that the full allocation will be spent during the remainder of 2005.

Outside Gaeleagras, work relating to implementing the Official Languages Act 2003 is spread across the Department and is undertaken in conjunction with officials' existing duties. It is, therefore, not possible to provide an overall cost for the implementation of the Act in the Department in 2005. However, the additional costs incurred by the Department associated with using external translation and printing services etc. arising from the Act is €6,342 to-date in 2005 and is estimated at around €40,000 for the full year in 2005.